Forget the Spotify playlist. Duchess Margaret of Austria had her very own music collection back in the sixteenth century: the Mechelen Choirbook, created in the workshop of master copyist Petrus Alamire. It remains one of the most exquisite music manuscripts ever made.
This 1515 manuscript is far more than just a collection of magnificent polyphony. It is propaganda in musical notation: a luxurious calling card for the Habsburg dynasty. In seven concerts, seven Renaissance ensembles will unlock all the masses it contains – six by Margaret’s favourite composer, Pierre de la Rue, and one by Matthaeus Pipelare. A truly exceptional concert series to savour.
Utopia Ensemble, Dionysos Now!, CantorÃa, Ratas del Viejo Mundo, Cappella Pratensis, Cappella Mariana, and Huelgas Ensemble: they are all gathering to pay tribute to the finest music collection of the Low Countries.
